Am Studies/Cultural Studies/Theory 2013

[hidalgo]

what is a Drapers?

[s0classic]

NYU Draper - http://draper.fas.nyu.edu/page/home

 

I was rejected from NYU's AMST PhD

[hidalgo]

looks like a money trap for the idle rich. i'd stay away.

[kglad]

Just got my notice yesterday from Penn State- I was accepted off the wait list!!!  YAY!!  Super thrilled and I hope we can make it work!! No assistantships available in the American Studies department, however. I will receive a packet from them soon.

 

I'm really excited, but without funding, I can't afford to go. Mortgage here (until house is rent-ready and rented or sold) plus rent there would mean we would live on ramen and have to basically sell everything we own just to afford the move.

 

Hopefully, another option will present itself. If not, I'll have to decline, but would stay in contact with the department with the intention of applying for 2014.

[hidalgo]

no idea if my waitlist will convert. I know there's someone on this board who was accepted to where I want to go but didn't seem to be wanting to go there and I have no idea if said person has dropped from the school i'm waiting on or not...

[s0classic]

should be hearing from Minnesota wait list Sunday or Monday.

[Spade]

http://dontcometoqueensuniversity.wordpress.com/

[hidalgo]

did anyone make any deadline decisions of interest?

[s0classic]

I was called off Minnesota's waitlist. Accepted with a dope funding package.

[kglad]

I was called off Minnesota's waitlist. Accepted with a dope funding package.

 

s0classic- Congrats!! Lots of cool things going on here in the TC. If you need any help vetting neighborhoods, let me know. My hubby and I have a combined 60 years of experience living and working here. Some really neat things going on for the arts and cultural side of entertainment, lofts and other housing going up near or along the light rail, too. I recommend taking advantage of that if you can- the light rail will be operational in 2014 and go directly to campus from the east and west. The cost of living here is somewhat expensive, so I'm glad you got a great funding package!

 

I was called off the Penn State waitlist and will be attending their program. We will either sell or rent our house in St. Paul, MN. I will likely defer until Fall 2014, though, since most or all of the grant, scholarship, or fellowship-type funding has been depleted or the deadlines have passed while the first round of admission letters went out. I am waiting to hear back on a possible assistantship for Fall 2013, but I think I'd rather start the first year with a little more than that.

[kglad]

no idea if my waitlist will convert. I know there's someone on this board who was accepted to where I want to go but didn't seem to be wanting to go there and I have no idea if said person has dropped from the school i'm waiting on or not...

 

hidalgo- Have you heard anything yet from the school you want to attend? I hope it works out for you-

[hidalgo]

kglad- they told me it could happen (an open spot) today or in two weeks or never and that they couldn't tell me anything more than that. Basically it's just a matter of someone renegging inappropriately which will likely not happen at this point unless the harvard/yales are still shuffling their waitlist deck too.

[Niaa]

Hey Guys, 

 

I'm in a  huge dilemma here, and would like some thoughts. I'm an international student, with a law background, but interested in studying critical theory/literary theory etc, and then applying it to legal theory. Does that even make sense? Anyway, i got the fulbright scholarship to study in the US. BUT - under its new policies, they choose the universities for us, we have little or no say. I really like New School for Social research, and managed to force them to apply to the Liberal Studies program there. I got accepted with a 50% scholarship. But i also got accepted at University of Arkansas, Feyeteville's comparative literature http://www.uark.edu/ua/cplt/overview.html  and fulbright is forcing me to go to arkansas because its cheaper for them. 

 

I know many people at New School, but have NO idea what Arkansas is like. From the looks of it, it has hardly any critical theory. I really wanted to go for my masters, and turning down a scholarship is a HARD decision. But would Arkansas be worth the 2 years, epecially if i wanted to study theory, and this is more traditional literature? (Fulbright insists its the same as new school's program). Would appreciate some thoughts on this. 

[kglad]

kglad- they told me it could happen (an open spot) today or in two weeks or never and that they couldn't tell me anything more than that. Basically it's just a matter of someone renegging inappropriately which will likely not happen at this point unless the harvard/yales are still shuffling their waitlist deck too.

 

I feel your pain, actually. I just got a voice mail from the admin asst at U of KS. I emailed last week, then left a voice message later last week just asking about my status because I hadn't received anything yet.

 

The U of KS American Studies dept hasn't made a decision about my application. I'm rather shocked, actually. I mean, most other places wanted a decision by now or the end of the month to have time to reassign funding to other candidates, etc. and for U of KS to not notify me of even waitlist or "pending decision" is disheartening, to say the least. I'm on a cusp, but I have no idea which cusp. Cusp of rejection and wait list? Cusp of underdog "surprise" admission? ACK.

[kglad]

Anyone still waiting on University of Kansas? They have the priority deadline of December 1 and a final deadline of May 1. I apparently didn't get admitted during their first priority round or waitlist crew. I haven't bothered contacting them again, either, to find out any more info.

 

Do people actually get acceptance letters after the May 1 deadline?

 

Also, I wonder how much they get slammed by later applications from people who got rejected elsewhere during earlier admission seasons.

[mbrie]

I am hoping to apply to American Studies PhD programs this fall.  What programs are generally considered the strongest?  I've heard positive things from my profs and TAs about NYU, William and Mary, Brown, Yale, SUNY-Buffalo, and Harvard.  Which program is consistently ranked or considered to be the strongest?  How about selectivity-wise?  I know rankings aren't everything, but am curious to see what type of reputations these programs have.  

[Appppplication]

Hey Guys, 

 

I'm in a  huge dilemma here, and would like some thoughts. I'm an international student, with a law background, but interested in studying critical theory/literary theory etc, and then applying it to legal theory. Does that even make sense? Anyway, i got the fulbright scholarship to study in the US. BUT - under its new policies, they choose the universities for us, we have little or no say. I really like New School for Social research, and managed to force them to apply to the Liberal Studies program there. I got accepted with a 50% scholarship. But i also got accepted at University of Arkansas, Feyeteville's comparative literature http://www.uark.edu/ua/cplt/overview.html  and fulbright is forcing me to go to arkansas because its cheaper for them. 

 

I know many people at New School, but have NO idea what Arkansas is like. From the looks of it, it has hardly any critical theory. I really wanted to go for my masters, and turning down a scholarship is a HARD decision. But would Arkansas be worth the 2 years, epecially if i wanted to study theory, and this is more traditional literature? (Fulbright insists its the same as new school's program). Would appreciate some thoughts on this. 

 

Wow this seems like a difficult situation. If I were you I would fight for going to the New School. I would email the arkansas program and spell out your interests and see if your interests would be supported. I doubt they would say yes. Take that email and send it to fullbright. Also make very compelling arguments for new school with how your interests would fit and who you would work with and even get letters from the profs you would work with there.  This is too good of an opportunity to not fight for. My guess is that Arkansas will not be the right fit unless you want to to traditional literature and cultural studies. Perhaps you could work in their philosophy department in conjunction with the lit program, but make sure they do theory. good luck.

[InHacSpeVivo]

Anyone still waiting on University of Kansas? They have the priority deadline of December 1 and a final deadline of May 1. I apparently didn't get admitted during their first priority round or waitlist crew. I haven't bothered contacting them again, either, to find out any more info.

 

Do people actually get acceptance letters after the May 1 deadline?

 

Also, I wonder how much they get slammed by later applications from people who got rejected elsewhere during earlier admission seasons.

 

I was already in at UNCW, but I didn't get a funding offer until last week. I imagine some PhD programs with those off-the-record waitlists may still be doing some shuffling, too.

 

 

I am hoping to apply to American Studies PhD programs this fall.  What programs are generally considered the strongest?  I've heard positive things from my profs and TAs about NYU, William and Mary, Brown, Yale, SUNY-Buffalo, and Harvard.  Which program is consistently ranked or considered to be the strongest?  How about selectivity-wise?  I know rankings aren't everything, but am curious to see what type of reputations these programs have.  

 

Those are all highly ranked programs. In the NRC rankings, Yale would around the top of the list of schools you give and W&M at the bottom (the "bottom" being roughly #7 of AS programs, depending on how you read the rankings). I went to W&M for my MA, actually. I was accepted to MA/PhD, but wasn't able to continue on because of a lack of funding. That's really the biggest issue there, limited funds. I absolutely loved W&M, though. Honestly, "strength" really depends on what you want to study. For example, I think W&M is stronger than NYU if you're specializing in colonial studies, and Harvard doesn't really have a pop culture studies program, but Brown does. I'm surprised Minnesota isn't on your list, they're usually the #4 AS program in the NRC rankings.

 

Rankihngs aren't really the same for PhD programs as they are for UG; it's about your particular speciality and what the faculty at a given department's strengths are, though, so it's not really about the rankings as much as the resources for your area of study. BGSU, for example, is usually toward the bottom of the NRC rankings, but their popular culture program is particularly strong and they have a lot of resources for students interested in that field. You really need to examine faculty and placement rates to get a sense of which program would offer the most of what you need.

 

As far as selectivity, in all of my research the average selectivity rate for this schools is around 2%. I applied to some this year that were 1% and some that were 5% (one was 10%!), but they definitely avergaed to the lower end. If a program assures funding to all admitted students, you're definitely looking at a 2% acceptance rate at best. Again, you can't really judge PhD programs by selectivity the way you can UG programs. They are all ridiculously selective.

[Swagato]

Hey all,

 

Just popped in here to ask if there are any admits to Yale's American Studies program this year. I'm headed there for Film Studies and History of Art, and it'd be great to meet any Film Studies+American Studies, or just Am. Studies people.